One of the greatest blessings Duane and I received this year was during one of the most difficult times. My mother had been ill for a few years, so her passing was not a total surprise. Her 91-year-ol

Butterfat composition in the national bulk tank has been on a meteoric rise over the past decade. Before that, according to USDA data, butterfat levels held in a tight window of 3.65% to 3.69% from 19

The author is a professor emeritus at Virginia Tech and an independent dairy consultant with Down Home Heifer Solutions.Each farm must weigh the pros and cons of feeding milk or milk replacer in their...

Central Lakes College in Minnesota has a law enforcement training course that teaches young recruits to respond to emergency and nonemergency calls for service. This includes traffic enforcement dutie

I recently ran into a person who told me she sets a “gratitude” alarm on her phone. Four times a day, her phone rings to alert her that it is time to be grateful.I was not quite sure how to...

the last few years have created some of the most unpredictable financial situations we’ve seen. As we prepare for 2023, here are five considerations to make in your business planning. 1. Milk p

I still vividly remember my first farm call following vet school graduation many years ago! Lloyd had called the practice early on a sunny June morning. His message was one of distress.“One of my...

When it comes to global warming, all greenhouse gases tend to get lumped into the same bucket. In reality, certain gases behave differently, and that affects their impact on climate change. During the

The collective dairy industry leapt into action after USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack shared he was open to a proposal to modernize Federal Milk Marketing Orders. In the ensuing 11 months, hundreds of meet

Not far outside of the small western Oregon city of Albany, a friendly sign edged with bright teal welcomes visitors to Royal Riverside Farm. Down the driveway, those who stop find a place to stock up

There is a tremendous amount of care that goes into a glass of milk. I wish there was a way to capture all of the effort it takes to provide nutrition for ourselves and our neighbors. Caring for our a

There has been much recent work completed regarding antibiotic stewardship in dairy production. This includes pathogen-based decision-making (sometimes aided by on-farm culture) about which cows to tr

We usually think of agricultural limestone as a soil amendment used to elevate soil pH. And while a major reason to apply ag lime is to maintain soil pH in the desired range — 6.5 or higher for most

During a cow’s lactation, changes in body condition and body weight occur that influence future milk yield and fertility outcomes. Evaluating body weight alone is not a good indicator of body reserv

Every dairy farmer knows that raising a calf to maturity takes great care, with an appreciation of the challenge and a goal of doing what’s best rather than what’s easy

Almost 30% of the world’s agricultural products actually end up as “by-products.”

Energy is the single most important component of the U.S. economy. It drives all aspects of our nation’s economic well-being

It is always nice to achieve a winning season! Like so many of you, I have witnessed both winning and losing “dairy seasons” over the last four decades

One of the biggest changes I have seen in the past 20 years is how we need to amplify our voices in places that are sometimes uncomfortable

AT FIRST we could not believe what our eyes had read. After a second review, we were not as surprised to learn that some politicians who extol the virtues of green energy